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Mount Desert Rock

History

Mount
Desert Rock is a remote, treeless island situated approximately 25
nautical miles south of College of the Atlantic, in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Since the early 19th century the island has had a light tower, and
various buildings to house light-keeper families. In the 1950s the
island was occupied by the United States Coastguard. Now it is the home
of the Edward McC. Blair Marine Research Station.

In the early 1970s, students, staff, and faculty from College of the
Atlantic visited the island. They noted that the site was a prime
location for marine mammal research. Both Mount Desert Rock and the
nearby Inner Schoodic Ridges are areas of upwelling, creating localized
zones of high biological productivity. Species commonly sighted
included humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae), finback (Balaenoptera physalus), and northern right (Eubalaena glacialis) whales, harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), common (Delphinus delphis) and white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus), and harbor (Phoca vitulina) and gray (Halichoerus grypus) seals.

In
cooperation with the US Coastguard, Allied Whale, the marine mammal
research division of College of the Atlantic, seasonally occupied Mount
Desert Rock for several decades. Mount Desert Rock became the base of
summer operations for Allied Whale, and provided a foundation for
important studies such as the development of photo-identification
techniques for humpback and finback whales. In the mid 1990s,
occupation of the island ceased as the US Coastguard reviewed the need
for Mount Desert Rock as part of the network of lighthouses off the
coast of Maine. In 1996, College of the Atlantic acquired the island
from the US Coastguard. Although the Coastguard maintains right of
access to the aids to navigation equipment on the island, College of
the Atlantic is responsible for the buildings and maintenance of the
structures on Mount Desert Rock.

College of the Atlantic continues to maintain an active presence on
Mount Desert Rock. Recently, Allied Whale has initiated a five-year
study of marine mammal populations in the northern Gulf of Maine, using
Mount Desert Rock as a base of operations. Members of Allied Whale,
together with staff, faculty and administration of the college,
continue to spearhead the development of Mount Desert Rock as a fully
operational research station that will eventually expand its research
repertoire beyond marine mammal science. As a first step in this
expansion, and in recognition of his financial and spiritual support to
Allied Whale and College of the Atlantic, the field station was
recently dedicated as the Edward McC. Blair Marine Research Station.

Life on the Rock

Mount
Desert Rock has 4 buildings perched precariously on its rocky ledges;
the boathouse, light tower, generator shed and light-keeper's house.
The boathouse has space for 4 research inflatable boats, and is rigged
with a hydraulic hauling system and chain hoist. The light tower
reaches over 70 ft in height above sea level, and has two exterior
platforms provide excellent views 360Â° around the island. The
generator shed is currently used as an equipment room; the college
plans to convert this space into a wet-lab. Finally, the house itself
has accommodations for 20 researchers/students, 2 classrooms, a
recreation room, kitchen and dining room, and radio room.

Power is currently provided by a small gas generator supplying a
bank of deep-cycle batteries that distribute 110V mains power via an
inverter. Plans exist to convert this system to a solar array, with the
generator supplying emergency power only.

Rainwater is collected via a roof collection system, is stored in
two large cisterns in the basement of the building and provides a
non-potable freshwater source for bathing, washing, etc.. Drinking
water currently must be shipped in, although the College has proposed
to install a desalination system.